The Spotify Car Thing Now has Phone Answering and 'Add to Queue' Functions

iOS Users will Receive The Upgrades Automatically.

Spotify released a standalone voice-activated music streaming device in October 2021, which it had been working on since 2019. Spotify's first hardware product was called Car Thing, and it was released in 2012. However, the device was only available to a restricted number of consumers at the time of its launch in October. When the Car Thing was officially made accessible to consumers across the United States in February 2022, Spotify solved that. Spotify released a software update for the Car Thing two months later, adding several additional features to the smart player. The Spotify Car Thing's functionality was first limited to reacting to voice instructions and assisting users in controlling music playback. It connected to your smartphone's Spotify app over Bluetooth and retrieved all of your albums, artists, and playlist information to display on its 4-inch screen. The device was mounted on the dashboard and had a huge jog dial that could be rotated to cycle through different settings. The device's touch screen could be used to control functionality in addition to reacting to the Hey Spotify voice command. This feature has been greatly expanded in the most recent upgrade of Car Thing. Spotify announced on Thursday that its Car Thing infotainment system would get the ability to answer to phone calls, among other new features. The $90 device, which was released in February, now allows users to add songs and podcasts to a queue, control other media, and utilize voice commands. Incoming calls will be visible in the Car Thing interface, and users will be able to answer or dismiss them. They'll be able to move between Spotify and other media via presets, voice commands, or tapping the screen. Spotify claims that the new "add to queue" option for Car Thing is one of the most requested; you can do it using your voice (using the "hello Spotify" prompt), touch, or the device's dial. You may also tell Car Thing what genre or type of music you want to listen to and it will produce a customized playlist for you. The Car Thing device, designed as a more convenient way to operate Spotify while driving, connects to your phone by Bluetooth, and you can either run a cable to attach it into your car or have your phone connect to your car via Bluetooth. It doesn't have a rechargeable battery, so you'll have to keep it hooked into your car's USB port.